Carter's New Trick

So Carter learned a new trick the other day. I don't know how it happened, he was just looking at me and started clapping. Probably because I am so awesome and it was his way of saying "Wow Dad, you are the greatest ever! Here, I will clap for you!" (Slash Rachelle worked on it with him and then had me film it. But I like my story better!)

Joy in sleeplessness

Before you read this, please keep in mind that I've been up since 3:30 am. It was just one of those nights. All you mothers know what I mean. I hear my little guy screaming (not like him at all) at 3:30 and go in to find his arm stuck in the crib and of course he was wide awake. Did I mind? Getting my body out of bed was tough but the sweet cuddles I received were priceless. He's so wiggly now a days, that I cherish each good snuggle session. I get him back to sleep a little after four. My eyes had barely closed when I heard screaming from the other room in the form of "Mommy!". I go into Addie's room and see her visibly shaking in bed (it was cold). She just kept saying "Mommy, I wet. I want mommy cuddles." I lift up her blankets to find her naked and very wet underneath. She must have stripped down after we put her to bed. Silly girl. I get some clothes on her and take her to bed with me. I'm way to lazy to fix her bed at 4:30 in the morning. Again, did I mind? Not really, the cuddles that I got totally made up for the interuption in sleep. After a little over an hour of having to scratch her back, she wanted her juice, bear and bed. I fixed it all up and then tried to catch some sleep until Carter woke up for his bottle and was loud enough to wake Addie up too. And now here I am.

Sure I'm tired and I'm probably not going to have a Super-Mom day. But I had a joyful night. For as much as I blog about the crazy things my kids may be doing, I hope that they and everyone knows how much I love and ADORE my kids. They are my life and bring me happiness like I've never known. Snuggles from them are like gold to me. Ever since Addie came into my life I have been an all around happier person (well once I got past post-pardom of course), and Carter just added to that. I sure wish that I lived around family so that you all could share in the happiness that they bring. Well I'm off to try to put Carter down for his morning nap. You better believe that I'm going to try to nap on the couch while Addie watches cartoons. Aren't I a great mom!

Hay is for Pumpkins

So we had a nice little FHE this last Monday picking out our pumpkins for Halloween. I thought I'd share a few pictures. We tried all the tricks in the book to get them both to look at the camera but to no avail. Candy didn't even work, crazy. Addie was too busy throwing hay. I've got to admit that pumpkin shopping is much more fun with kids!

Wow Mommy, what is this stuff?

Hay was made for throwing on Carter.

Once she realized we wanted her to look at the camera, it was all over.

Laundry helpers wanted

I know that some of you will be jealous of the two laundry assistants I have in my keeping. If I don't say so myself, they are pretty cute. Somehow though, it seems to take me twice as long with their "help". I can't complain. Addie used to push the baskets for me until she found that it is much more fun to ride in them. I remember many a laundry basket rides growing up.

One more time around the house please!

Mommy's good helpers

Words of a Prophet

With the current financial and housing crisis as a backdrop, I was just searching lds.org for a talk that I had been told that President Hinckley gave concerning the Old Testament story of Joseph's interpretation of the Pharaoh's dream. Joseph told the Pharaoh that he needed to prepare because there would be seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine. In a talk given at the October 1998 Priesthood session President Hinckley read the scriptural account of Joseph and the Pharaoh and then said this....

Now, brethren, I want to make it very clear that I am not prophesying, that I am not predicting years of famine in the future. But I am suggesting that the time has come to get our houses in order. So many of our people are living on the very edge of their incomes. In fact, some are living on borrowings.

We have witnessed in recent weeks wide and fearsome swings in the markets of the world. The economy is a fragile thing. A stumble in the economy in Jakarta or Moscow can immediately affect the entire world. It can eventually reach down to each of us as individuals. There is a portent of stormy weather ahead to which we had better give heed.

I repeat, I hope we will never again see such a depression. But I am troubled by the huge consumer installment debt which hangs over the people of the nation, including our own people. In March 1997 that debt totaled $1.2 trillion, which represented a 7 percent increase over the previous year.

In December of 1997, 55 to 60 million households in the United States carried credit card balances. These balances averaged more than $7,000 and cost $1,000 per year in interest and fees. Consumer debt as a percentage of disposable income rose from 16.3 percent in 1993 to 19.3 percent in 1996.

Everyone knows that every dollar borrowed carries with it the penalty of paying interest. When money cannot be repaid, then bankruptcy follows. There were 1,350,118 bankruptcies in the United States last year. This represented a 50 percent increase from 1992. In the second quarter of this year, nearly 362,000 persons filed for bankruptcy, a record number for a three-month period.

We are beguiled by seductive advertising. Television carries the enticing invitation to borrow up to 125 percent of the value of one’s home. But no mention is made of interest. I urge you, brethren, to look to the condition of your finances. I urge you to be modest in your expenditures; discipline yourselves in your purchases to avoid debt to the extent possible. Pay off debt as quickly as you can, and free yourselves from bondage.

These were probably not popular words back in 1998. The economy was booming and credit was incredibly easy to come by. But President Hinckley was a Prophet of God, and he knew what was coming. Now luckily as bad as things are we are not under famine conditions. Most people still have the resources to support themselves and their families. But what a different situation this world would be in today if people would heed the words of the prophets.

Why get a dog when you can just have a baby?

So really, why get a dog when you can just have a baby. They are just as loyal and help keep the floors clean. Personally, I think they are a lot cuter too. Carter is definitely one big pet to Addie. I rounded the corner today and caught her dropping bits of corn dog on the floor for him. No wonder he's always following her around these days. I'd find it more cute if I wasn't appalled that my 8 month old is eating corn dog off the floor.